Shadows of Saturn’s ring moons in the dusty E-ring

Abstract. Moons orbiting within Saturn’s diffuse E-Ring cause cylindrical shadows to appear inside the ring at high phase angles when the moons obscure sunlight from areas behind them. These shadows can be observed in multiple images taken on the Cassini-Huygens mission at high phase angles when the ring material is scattering sunlight and dust in the area obstructed by the moon does not scatter sunlight creating a shadow. On this preliminary analysis we focus on the shadows of Enceladus and Tethys and show that this method is viable for inferring local ring properties. Information about the size distribution and light scattering properties of the E-Ring particles can theoretically be inferred from measurements. A preliminary analysis is presented with the goal of investigating whether enough data is present and can meaningful results be produced. A Python program was developed to analyze and extract data from the Cassini-Huygens mission images. This Program is used to analyze shadows in images of the moons Enceladus and Tethys taken with different filters and wavelengths at high phase angles

Formation and hydrolysis of amide bonds by lipase A from Candida antarctica; exceptional features

Various commercial lyophilized and immobilized preparations of lipase A from Candida antarctica (CAL-A) were studied for their ability to catalyze the hydrolysis of amide bonds in N-acylated alpha-amino acids, 3-butanamidobutanoic acid (beta-amino acid) and its ethyl ester. The activity toward amide bonds is highly untypical of lipases, despite the close mechanistic analogy to amidases which normally catalyze the corresponding reactions. Most CAL-A preparations cleaved amide bonds of various substrates with high enantioselectivity, although high variations in substrate selectivity and catalytic rates were detected. The possible role of contaminant protein species on the hydrolytic activity toward these bonds was studied by fractionation and analysis of the commercial lyophilized preparation of CAL-A (Cat#ICR-112, Codexis). In addition to minor impurities, two equally abundant proteins were detected, migrating on SDS-PAGE a few kDa apart around the calculated size of CAL-A. Based on peptide fragment analysis and sequence comparison both bands shared substantial sequence coverage with CAL-A. However, peptides at the C-terminal end constituting a motile domain described as an active-site flap were not identified in the smaller fragment. Separated gel filtration fractions of the two forms of CAL-A both catalyzed the amide bond hydrolysis of ethyl 3-butanamidobutanoate as well as the N-acylation of methyl pipecolinate. Hydrolytic activity towards N-acetylmethionine was, however, solely confined to the fractions containing the truncated form of CAL-A. These fractions were also found to contain a trace enzyme impurity identified in sequence analysis as a serine carboxypeptidase. The possible role of catalytic impurities versus the function of CAL-A in amide bond hydrolysis is further discussed in the paper

The Role of the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner in the Comprehensive Management of Pediatric Oncology Patients in the Inpatient Setting

The role of the pediatric nurse practitioner (PNP) in the comprehensive management of pediatric oncology patients in the inpatient setting was examined at a large tertiary teaching hospital. This article shows role responsibilities including new diagnosis teaching, procedures, routine chemotherapy, patients' comprehensive medical management, coordination of nursing care across settings, phone triage, and professional development. A PNP's typical day is highlighted to illustrate the innovative merging of traditional ambulatory care roles with that of the PNP as a comprehensive manager of pediatric oncology patients in the inpatient setting. This role provides a more seamless care experience and provides critical links in the delivery of health care to pediatric oncology patients.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/68349/2/10.1177_104345429901600202.pd

Structural and Biomolecular Analyses of Borrelia burgdorferi BmpD Reveal a Substrate-Binding Protein of an ABC-Type Nucleoside Transporter Family

Borrelia burgdorferisensu lato, the causative agent of tick-borne Lyme borreliosis (LB), has a limited metabolic capacity and needs to acquire nutrients, such as amino acids, fatty acids, and nucleic acids, from the host environment. Using X-ray crystallography, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, microscale thermophoresis, and cellular localization studies, we show that basic membrane protein D (BmpD) is a periplasmic substrate-binding protein of an ABC transporter system binding to purine nucleosides. Nucleosides are essential for bacterial survival in the host organism, and these studies suggest a key role for BmpD in the purine salvage pathway of B. burgdorferi sensu lato Because B. burgdorferisensu lato lacks the enzymes required for de novo purine synthesis, BmpD may play a vital role in ensuring access to the purines needed to sustain an infection in the host. Furthermore, we show that, although human LB patients develop anti-BmpD antibodies, immunization of mice with BmpD does not confer protection against B. burgdorferi sensu lato infection.</p

A New Species of Saphonecrus (Hymenoptera, Cynipoidea) Associated With Plant Galls on Castanopsis (Fagaceae) in China

A new cynipid species, Saphonecrus hupingshanensis Liu, Yang, et Zhu, sp. nov. (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Synergini), is described from China. This is the first species of the inquilinous tribe Synergini ever known to have an association with chinquapins (Fagaceae: Castanopsis). The biology and implication to species diversity of Cynipidae in eastern and southeast Asia are discussed

The kinetics and mechanism of the organo-iridium catalysed racemisation of amines

The dimeric iodo-iridium complex [IrCp*I2 ]2 (Cp*=pentamethylcyclopentadiene) is an efficient catalyst for the racemisation of secondary and tertiary amines at ambient and higher temperatures with a low catalyst loading. The racemisation occurs with pseudo-first-order kinetics and the orresponding four rate constants were obtained by monitoring the time dependence of the concentrations of the (R) and (S) enantiomers starting with either pure (R) or (S) and show a first-order dependence on catalyst concentration. Low temperature 1H NMR data is consistent with the formation of a 1:1 complex with the amine coordinated to the iridium and with both iodide anions still bound to the metal-ion, but at the higher temperatures used for kinetic studies binding is weak and so no saturation zero-order kinetics are observed. A cross-over experiment with isotopically labelled amines demonstrates the intermediate formation of an imine which can dissociate from the iridium complex. Replacing the iodides in the catalyst by other ligands or having an amide substituent in Cp* results in a much less effective catalysts for the racemisation of amines. The rate constants for a deuterated amine yield a significant primary kinetic isotope effect kH/kD = 3.24 ndicating that hydride transfer is involved in the rate-limiting step

Skeletal Morphology of Opius dissitus and Biosteres carbonarius (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), with a Discussion of Terminology

The Braconidae, a family of parasitic wasps, constitute a major taxonomic challenge with an estimated diversity of 40,000 to 120,000 species worldwide, only 18,000 of which have been described to date. The skeletal morphology of braconids is still not adequately understood and the terminology is partly idiosyncratic, despite the fact that anatomical features form the basis for most taxonomic work on the group. To help address this problem, we describe the external skeletal morphology of Opius dissitus Muesebeck 1963 and Biosteres carbonarius Nees 1834, two diverse representatives of one of the least known and most diverse braconid subfamilies, the Opiinae. We review the terminology used to describe skeletal features in the Ichneumonoidea in general and the Opiinae in particular, and identify a list of recommend terms, which are linked to the online Hymenoptera Anatomy Ontology. The morphology of the studied species is illustrated with SEM-micrographs, photos and line drawings. Based on the examined species, we discuss intraspecific and interspecific morphological variation in the Opiinae and point out character complexes that merit further study

Governance and Conservation Effectiveness in Protected Areas and Indigenous and Locally Managed Areas

Increased conservation action to protect more habitat and species is fueling a vigorous debate about the relative effectiveness of different sorts of protected areas. Here we review the literature that compares the effectiveness of protected areas managed by states and areas managed by Indigenous peoples and/or local communities. We argue that these can be hard comparisons to make. Robust comparative case studies are rare, and the epistemic communities producing them are fractured by language, discipline, and geography. Furthermore the distinction between these different forms of protection on the ground can be blurred. We also have to be careful about the value of this sort of comparison as the consequences of different forms of conservation for people and nonhuman nature are messy and diverse. Measures of effectiveness, moreover, focus on specific dimensions of conservation performance, which can omit other important dimensions. With these caveats, we report on findings observed by multiple study groups focusing on different regions and issues whose reports have been compiled into this article. There is a tendency in the data for community-based or co-managed governance arrangements to produce beneficial outcomes for people and nature. These arrangements are often accompanied by struggles between rural groups and powerful states. Findings are highly context specific and global generalizations have limited value